National Juvenile Indoor Championships
Two days of the National Indoor Track and Field championships for U12s to U19s took place last weekend. Galway athletes excelled taking home multiple National medals, with notable success in the Race Walking events.
One of Galway’s finest Juvenile athletes, Loughrea star Darragh Fahy, secured a super Triple Jump gold medal, leaping 13 metres 57 to claim U19 Gold. That rounds off a superb indoor season for Fahy, in the Triple Jump, having won the U20 title a few weeks ago and placing 4th in the Seniors in February
U19 Triple Jump winner Darragh Fahy of Loughrea with coach Mary Barrett
Tuam AC's Race Walking squad dominated the All-Ireland Indoor Championships, winning five gold medals in total, with medals also for South Galway and CRH
Emma Howson started proceedings well for Tuam, with a hard-fought victory in the U14 1000m, winning her first All-Ireland title by less than half a second over South Galway AC’s Nora Walsh. Next up, Grofu Newell won his first ever All Ireland title when he took gold in the U14 1000m
Tuam AC secured gold in the U15 girls where Cuisle O’Callaghan added the U15 title to the U14 title she won last year with a commanding victory in 4.37.65 a new personal best. In the U18 1500m Savanagh O’Callaghan recorded a new personal best of 6.56.69 to win the silver medal.
In the U18 boys, Matthew Newell saved the best for last when he broke the Championship Record with a stunning time of 5.44.91. The day concluded on a high when Ciara Gilmore won her first All-Ireland Indoor title when she recorded a massive personal best of 7.26.16.
South Galway AC secured another medal with Silver via Ciarán Kelleher in the U 17 Boys event, whilst Clare River Harriers Hazel Dinkin also claimed silver in the U15 event
Also, for Tuam AC, Aine Maguire made a great breakthrough with a bronze medal-winning performance in the U19 400m race, while Rachel Treacy secured the silver medal in the U16 60m Hurdles going sub 9 seconds,
Galway City Harriers claimed five medals, with Gold medallist Lucy Hounkponou the standout, securing the U18 Hurdles title. The club's other medal winners were at U12 level, via Maneli Fazaeli, who took bronze over 600m, at U13 Aoibhinn Van De Ven won silver in the Shot Putt, Luke Collins also won silver in the U14 Triple Jump and Kevin Sangodele won silver in the U16 Triple Jump
West Coast AC continued their track success with gold for Michelle Nnadi, who became the U16 National 60M Sprint Champion in a time of 7.74.
Angela Cielecka became the U18 National 60M Champion in a fast 7.59 and won National Silver in the 200M with a time of 24.87. Lemar Lucciano won the National bronze in the 60M sprint to cap off a great display by the club.
Angela Cielcka, West Coast AC, U18 60m champions and 200m silver
South Galway AC also secured medals via All Ireland Silver for Amelia Henry in the U13 Girls 60m sprint and via Luke Walsh, who won bronze in the U17 Boys 1500m
Castlegar athlete Cliodhna Ni Chonaill continues to excel, as she won silver in the U16 1500m race walk in 7.35
Craughwell AC again claimed a huge haul of silverware. Matiss Ozolins and Lauren Kelly won gold and bronze in the jumps at the National with Ozolins leaping 4.73m to win the U13 Boys Long Jump and Kelly leaping 1.51m to claim the bronze medal in a nerve-wracking U14 Girls High Jump, and later, she secured Hurdles silver in the 60m. There was a fantastic bronze medal for Aaron Burke in the U13 Boys Shot Put with a huge throw and a new PB of 11. 35m. Conor Penney had a blistering run in the U18 Hurdles to take silver in a time of 7.91, in the process going inside the old championship record of 8.04, while Rachel Warde raced to bronze in a time of 9.18 in the U17 Girls Hurdles.
